Promises
by LadieTAG
Summary: When Quinn is severly injured in a car accident, it is up to Daria to uphold a promise she made four years earlier.
1. Chapter 1

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Promises

Daria's boss called Jane up the moment one of the other dee-jays walked in the door. Daria was so tired, that they had to wheel out the chair she was sitting on to get her to Jane's car. Jane helped Daria to her feet and placed her in the passenger seat. Daria's boss told Jane that Daria was getting the next two weeks off and that he would have her car brought to their house. Jane thanked him before climbing into the driver's seat. Daria was asleep before the car was out of the lot. Jane would look over at her best friend and wife to make sure she was okay. Jane carefully lifted Daria out of the car and managed to wake her up just enough to get her in the house and into bed, where Jane soon joined her.

A sudden snowstorm and a bad break-out of the stomach flu had left Daria the only dee-jay available at the tiny radio station she worked at. So for eighty hours straight, Daria kept the WLDW airwaves alive. Jane could tell when Daria had to go to the bathroom and such, because she would play a couple of songs that were extremely long in a row. One time when Jane had called to check on her, Daria played Alice's Restaurant so they could have time to talk. While Daria was at the station, Jane would fall asleep to her favorite person's voice, but only for a few hours at a time.

For the first time in four days, Jane was sleeping good. So good in fact, that she thought she was dreaming when the phone rang. Jane's eyes forced themselves open as the phone continued to ring. Carefully, she slid off the bed hoping not to wake up the person sleeping next to her. Quickly grabbing the phone, Jane walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen before she clicked the button.

"Hello - Lane residence." Jane's voice almost growled.

"Hello, Jane. Is Daria home?"

Jane froze when she heard the voice on the other end of the line. Helen Morgendorffer had not spoken to either of them since they announced their engagement three years earlier. Even their wedding invitation to her and Jake was returned. That action had caused Daria to take Jane's last name instead of keeping her own. For a moment, she thought about lying to the Morgendorffer matriarch, but decided against it.

"Yes, she's home, but she is getting some much needed sleep after working eighty hours straight. How did you get this number?"

Helen was quiet for a moment. "Quinn. I know you don't want to wake her up, but I really need to speak to her."

Jane could tell that Helen's voice was stressed and ragged. Then, Jane remembered that Jake had heart problems. Walking towards the bedroom, Jane cringed at the thought of having to wake up Daria after only five hours of sleep. Shaking her wife gently, Jane was greeted by a weak smile and a pair of very bloodshot brown eyes. The smile instantly disappeared when Daria saw the phone in Jane's hands.

"I'm not going back to work - tell them to kiss my sleeping ass." Daria groaned.

"It's not work - it's Helen."

Daria stared at the phone for a moment before reluctantly taking it from Jane. "Hello, Helen."

"Daria - you need to come to Lawndale. There's been an accident."

"Accident? - What happened?" By this time, Daria was sitting straight up in bed. Jane sat down beside her so that she could hear the conversation.

"Quinn and Jeff were hit by a drunk driver. Jeff was killed instantly. Quinn's on life support, her doctors don't think she'll make it."

All of the color drained from Daria's face as the tears began to form. "What about Cleo? Was she in the car with them?"

"Yes - she's hurt, but not as bad as Quinn. Her left arm and leg are broken and she has a nasty cut on her forehead. Your father is in the room with her right now."

"Jane and I will be there in a couple of hours." By now, the tears were free-flowing down Daria's cheek.

"Okay." Helen hung up the phone.

Jane wrapped her arms around Daria as her wife's body shook against her. After twenty minutes, Daria broke from Jane's embrace and headed for the bathroom. While Daria was in the shower, Jane quickly packed and made two large thermoses of coffee. When Daria entered the kitchen, Jane kissed her forehead and pulled her into another embrace.

"Quinn's a fighter - she'll pull through this," Jane whispered.

Jane threw the luggage in the trunk and opened the passenger door for Daria. Jane pulled out her cellphone and called Daria's boss and Trent. Jane backed out of their driveway and began the four-hour trip to Lawndale. Jane tried her best to focus on the road, despite the emotions that were eating her alive. She was relieved to look over to see that Daria had fallen back asleep. Maybe she will sleep the entire way there. Please Quinn, hang on.

Jane heard Daria coming to right outside of Lawndale's city limits. Daria looked over at Jane and placed her hand on Jane's shoulder. Instinctively, Jane reached up and grabbed it.

"Jane - there is something you need to know before we get to the hospital."

"What's that? Your mom's going to try to get me kicked out?"

"No - Right before you and I got married, I made a promise to Quinn that if anything happened to her and Jeffy, I would take care of Cleo."


	2. Chapter 2

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Promises (Part 2)

Daria felt Jane's grip around her hand tighten. It took Jane a moment to even realize that Daria was still talking. "Do you remember when Cleo was about five months old and Quinn had to have her gallbladder removed?"

"Yeah - that was the first time we got to keep Cleo after moving in together."

"Right - because Jeff was in China for two months on business. Well, two days before the surgery, she called me up and asked me to meet her at her office. She told me that she knew from the first time I picked up Cleo, that if something ever occurred to where she couldn't take care of her daughter, she wanted me to do it. I was stunned at first, especially since you and I were a couple. Quinn told me that she didn't care that we were in love, all she was concerned about was Cleo being in a loving home. So, I promised her that day that if something ever happened, I would step in and raise Cleo. Jane - I can't let Quinn down."

Neither woman spoke the rest of the way. When they pulled into the parking lot, Jane stepped out of the car and made her way to the passenger side. Opening the door for her wife, Jane could see that tears were beginning to form in Daria's eyes. Setting aside all of the emotions that were taking their toll on her own brain, Jane held Daria in a gentle embrace.

"We better go inside ... our niece and sister need us," Jane whispered.

Upon entering the hospital, Daria approached the information desk. Quinn was in ICU on the fourth floor, while Cleo was in the pediatric ward on the third. Figuring that Helen would be with Quinn, Daria had Jane go visit Cleo while she checked on Quinn. Daria's instincts paid off, for when Jane walked in the room, Jake was sitting in a chair beside Cleo's bed as she slept. Jake turned and saw his eldest daughter's wife walking towards him.  
A sad, faint smile came over his face.

"Hi, Jane ..." Jake whispered and motioned for the door. Both of them walked into the hall. "Cleo just fell asleep about a half an hour ago and I don't want to wake her up. She's been asking for you and Daria."

"Daria went upstairs to check on Quinn. How are they?"

"Cleo's confused, hurt, and very scared. She knows that she lost her dad and is really terrified of losing her mom as well. Quinn - Quinn's in really bad shape. I, I don't know if she'll -" Jake couldn't continue.

Jane gave her father-in-law a supportive hug. "You and Helen raised two strong women Mr. M. Quinn's not going to give up without a damn good fight - not with Cleo's well-being at stake. Let's go back in the room. I want to be in there when Cleo wakes up."

Daria stood and stared at the elevator door. She drew in a long, deep breath right before the elevator stopped and opened. Staring down at the floor, she took two steps off the elevator before hearing a voice that made her stop dead in her tracks.

"Hello, Daria."

Daria looked up and saw the face of a woman she hadn't seen in almost four years. Bracing herself for whatever might come, Daria could feel her entire body stiffen as she tried to speak.

"Hello, Hel- mom."


	3. Chapter 3

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Promises (Part 3)

Daria watched as her mother slowly began walking towards her. Instead of approaching her daughter, Helen continued past Daria and headed for a tiny waiting room. Daria hesitated for a moment before turning to follow the Morgendorffer matriarch. The two women sat down on couches that faced each other. They stared at each other like opponents in a deeply contested chess match, a match that Daria wasn't in the mood to play. All she wanted to do was see her sister and niece. Before either could speak, one of Quinn's doctors entered the visiting room. Daria recognized him from when she stayed at Cedars of Lawndale in high school.

"Hello, Dr. Phillips."

"Hi, Daria. May I have a word with you for a moment? In private?"

"Shouldn't my mother be there?"

"Quinn gave you health care power of attorney over herself and Cleo," Helen growled.

Daria could see the anger and hurt in her mother's eyes. Daria stood up to follow Dr. Phillips. Before she left the room, she stopped beside her mother's chair.

"Look, I know we haven't gotten along at all since I've been with Jane. Right now we need to be a family, not only for Quinn's sake, but for Cleo's. I'll be right back," Daria walked out of the room.

Dr. Phillips led Daria to a tiny consultation room and went over Quinn's injuries in detail and treatment options. Quinn had several broken bones, a punctured lung, bruised sternum, a nasty laceration along the side of her head, and a cracked vertebrae that was causing pressure on her spinal cord. Dr. Phillips wanted to bring Quinn into surgery as soon as possible to stop what internal bleeding was still occurring, but wanted Daria's okay first due to the fact that Quinn's heart had already stopped once that night. Daria leaned her head against her fists, closed her eyes as if to pray, then nodded. She signed the consent form and walked back into the waiting area. Dr. Phillips then led her to her sister's room. Daria's breath shuddered as she made her way towards Quinn.

"Hey Quinn, don't give up on me. I need my sister and more importantly Cleo needs her mother. I love you - sis," Daria looked over at Dr. Phillips. "I'll be in downstairs with my niece. How long should Quinn be in surgery?"

"I don't know, but I will send word when we are done."

Feeling as though the weight of the world had been dropped upon her, Daria slowly headed out of the room. She returned to the waiting room and sat down next to Helen. Seeing the box of tissues, she handed one over to her mother. Helen hesitated for a moment before accepting it. The two women sat in silence until Daria cleared her throat.

"They are taking Quinn to the O.R. to try to stop the bleeding. I am going down to see Cleo. I think it would be good for her if we went down there together to show her that we all care about her," Daria's chest tightened as she spoke.

"I take it Jane's in the room with Cleo."

"Yes - she is. We've been married now for almost three years. Where do you expect her to be? She loves Cleo and Quinn, too."

Helen watched Daria stand up and move towards the waiting room door. Daria paused for a moment to see if her mother was going to join her. Bowing her head down, Daria left the room. As she made her way back to the elevators, she heard the sound of her mother's footsteps behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

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Promises (Part 4)

Jane and Jake sat quietly on opposite sides of Cleo's bed. Every so often, Jake would turn and look at Jane and see the concern on her face. Unlike Helen, Jake didn't hate Jane. He wanted his oldest daughter to be happy and if Jane made her smile, then he was satisfied with that. He was more upset over the fact that Helen had denied him one of the few things he had wanted to do in life, walking Daria down the aisle at her wedding.

"Can I ask you a question?" Jake asked.

Jane stared at him for a moment. "You know my rules. Maximum of three questions. No betrayals. Immunity from prosecution."

"Is Daria happy?"

"Yes, she really likes her job at the radio station and her two books have done well so far."

"Do you love each other?"

"Yes, we do. I know that Mrs. M hates that we are together, but we truly love one another."

"Does she ever talk about us?"

"Sometimes when Quinn comes over, you get mentioned. Although she may not show it, she misses you greatly."

"Thanks, Jane. I'm sorry we didn't attend the wedding."

"I appreciate that, but I think Daria needs to hear that more than I do."

"Aunt Janey?" A small tired voice said.

Jane stood up and moved her chair further up so. "I'm right here, sweetie."

"Where's Aunt Daria?"

"She's upstairs checking on your mommy."

A few moments later, Daria and Helen walked into Cleo's room. Cleo looked up and gave Daria a sad little smile.

"Aunt Daria, Aunt Janey said you were checking on mommy."

"I was, but I wanted to come and see how you were doing," Daria said as she went to stand beside Jane.

"Mommy's hurt real bad. I know because when I was in the car crying, she didn't get up to help me. Can I go see her?"

"Your mommy did get hurt badly. She got hurt more than you did, so they have her in a special room so they can take good care of her. They won't let you see her until she's doing better. How are you feeling?" Daria said.

"My arm and leg hurts and my head itches, but the doctor said that I'm not 'posed to scratch it."

"They're just afraid you'll bust one of your stitches."

"I wish mommy or daddy could kiss it and make it feel better, but I heard the policeman say daddy was gone," A sad look fell over Cleo's face. "Daddy's in heaven - isn't he?" Cleo stared up at Daria and Jane. Not being able to take anymore, Jake left the room with Helen following shortly behind.

Daria's chest tightened and her mouth went dry. Sensing Daria's discomfort, Jane reached down and wiped the tear that was falling from Cleo's tiny blue eyes. She drew in a silent, deep breath.

"Yes - He went to heaven."

"Mommy's gonna be mad when she wakes up. She hates it when he goes someplace without us."


	5. Chapter 5

Promises (Part 5)

Cleo's doctor entered the room and seeing the two women talking to her, smiled. Daria and Jane looked up at the woman and returned the smile.

"Hiya Cleo - I see your Aunt Daria and Jane have arrived. How are you feeling?"

"My arm and leg hurt and I want to scratch my head."

"Well, we don't you hurting - so I will take care of that right away. Is there anything else you need?"

"Do you have a coloring book and crayons?"

Jane looked over at Cleo. "I packed an extra sketchbook and your crayons. They're in the car. I'll get them after we talk to Doctor Andrea."

"Okay," Cleo yawned and closed eyes.

Daria looked over at her niece with a sad smile on her face. Andrea moved and stood beside the two women.

"Cleo's left arm and left leg both suffered clean breaks. She will have a hard cast on both for about six weeks and a soft cast for another three. The stitches will have to come out in about two weeks. If everything goes well, we should be able to release her by the end of the week. Will you be staying in Lawndale or going back to Vermont?"

"We'll be staying at Trent's house until Quinn is out of danger. I'll make sure that we have everything set up for her by Thursday," Daria said.

"Good - you can bring her back here and I'll remove the stitches. Daria - I am so sorry about Jeff and Quinn. I had just gotten on duty when she was rushed in. How is Quinn?"

"Thanks, Andrea. She's in surgery right now to try to stop the internal bleeding."

"I hope Quinn pulls through - for her sake," Andrea said as she nodded towards Cleo. "I better get going - I'll talk to you two more later. Oh, by the way, I read your last book - great stuff," Andrea exited the room.

Jane kissed Daria's cheek then left to go get Cleo's stuff out of her bag. When Jane returned, Daria leaned against her and watched Cleo sleeping peacefully. An hour later - Helen, Jake, and Doctor Phillips entered the room. Daria looked up at them with weary eyes.

"We were able to stop the bleeding and get her stabilized. She's back in ICU. We will keep you posted."

Jake and Jane could see what adrenaline and nervous energy Daria had been running on slip away. Despite Helen's protests, Jake asked Jane to bring Daria to her brother's house to get some sleep. Jane thanked Dr. Phillips and Jake and gave them the phone number. Jane led her to the car and called Trent. He was waiting for them on the front porch. Pulling both women into a fierce hug, he gave them each a small kiss on the forehead. As Daria and Jane headed for the kitchen, Trent took their luggage upstairs. When he returned, Trent joined them for a slice of the pizza he had ordered right after Jane called him. Daria was only able to eat one slice before she headed for Jane's old room. Concerned, Jane watched as her wife walked slowly up the stairs.

"How are Cleo and Quinn?" Trent asked.

"Quinn's in ICU and Cleo has a broken arm and leg. Cleo knows her dad died and that her mom isn't doing very well. I want to take all of her pain away, but I know I can't," Jane said as the tears that she had been fighting off for so long started flowing.

Trent put his arms around his little sister. "Janey - I watched you and Cleo when you kept her last summer. She loved it when you told her jokes or drew funny pictures. So, my best advice for you is to do what you do best ... make her laugh."


	6. Chapter 6

Promises (Part 6)

Jane woke up when she realized that Daria's head was no longer pressed against her shoulder blade. Walking into the kitchen, Jane spotted her wife of two years sitting at the table writing in a notebook as she talked on the phone. Jane made her way over to the coffeemaker and poured two cups and went to sit down next to Daria. A few minutes later, Daria thanked the person she was talking to and hung up. Jane slid one of the cups in front of the auburn-haired woman, who had begun rubbing her temples. Wrapping an arm around Daria, Jane gave her a gentle squeeze. Daria leaned into the half-hug and rested her head against Jane's arm. The two sat like that in silence until Trent came into the room. He placed a hand one of their shoulders.

"I talked to Jamie - Quinn's partner at her law firm. She and Jeff both had funeral arrangements in case something happened to one or both of them. I need to find out what happened to Jeff's cell phone, but at least Jamie was able to give me Jeff's boss's number and a number for some of their friends. Why don't you head to the hospital and I'll join you after I get all of this taken care of," Daria said.

Trent turned to his little sister. "I'll drive you, Janie. I've been wanting to see Cleo and Quinn, too. That way, Daria can use your car to meet us when she's done."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Jane asked with concern in her voice.

"No - but this has to be done. I just want one of there for Cleo and to check on Quinn."

Jane stood up and kissed Daria's cheek. Despite being married for over two years, this caused Daria to blush every time. "Call me if you need me. I love you."

"I love you, too." Daria gave both Jane and Trent a hug and watched them leave. She went back into the kitchen and stared at the phone. No point in putting this off much longer. She picked up the phone and began dialing.

Jane and Trent arrived at the hospital to find Helen and Jake asleep in the waiting area on Quinn's floor. Jane tapped them on the shoulder and asked them to go home and get some rest. Jake agreed and woke Helen up. Helen was reluctant at first, but relented. When Jake asked about Daria, Jane told them about needing to make Jeff's funeral arrangements. Jake nodded somberly before thanking her and Trent. Jake led Helen to the elevators. Trent followed them so that he could see Cleo. Jane spotted Dr. Phillips in the hall and asked him about Quinn. He led her to Quinn's room.

Jane sat down and gently took Quinn's hand. She gazed around the room for a moment, watching and listening to the machines that surrounded her sister-in-law and friend. Then, she stared down at the petite red-head who was lying on the bed in front of her. Jane fought back the tears as she looked at the casts and the bandages and the breathing tube that was forcing air into Quinn's lungs. Jane closed her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Hi Quinn. I hope you can hear me. Daria's got everything under control so don't worry. Cleo's starting to get better. Are you ready for this? Andrea is her doctor - can you believe that? If all goes well, she'll be released at the end of the week. She'll be staying with us at Trent's house. So you need to start getting better soon - we don't want to have to expose her to Mystik Spiral any more than we have to. I'm going to go downstairs and check on her. Daria will be here soon. Just keep in mind - we love you, sis." Jane stood up and left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

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Promises (Part 7)

Cleo and Jane were watching a riveting episode of Spongebob Squarepants when Daria walked into the room. Cleo flashed a big smile at her aunt as she lifted the picture that she had drawn. Daria sat down next to Jane and looked at the giant Get Well Soon card Cleo had made. Daria gave her niece a kiss on the cheek. Cleo began to laugh when Jane kissed Daria's cheek and she blushed.

"Aunt Daria - your cheeks are as red as Aunt Jane's lipstick."

Before Daria could respond, Trent walked into the room. "Trent - can you stay here for a few minutes? Jane and I have to talk to my parents." Trent nodded. "Cleo, we'll be right back," Daria said as she and Jane left the room.

Daria and Jane headed towards the elevator. Jane was filling her in on Andrea's last visit with Cleo. "Andrea says that Cleo will probably get released on Thursday instead of Friday. Trent and Jesse are going to spend tomorrow getting the house cleaned up and to set up Penny's bed in the living room. Trent said he would stay with her when we came to visit Quinn."

"Have you seen Quinn yet today?"

"Yeah - when we first got here Cleo was still asleep, so we went upstairs. Dr. Phillips said she is slowly starting to improve," Jane said as she pushed the elevator button.

When they arrived on Quinn's floor, Jake was sitting in the waiting area. Daria feared that something was wrong when her father stood up and pulled her into a hug. Instead of trying to back out of the embrace, Daria tightened her own grip around him.

"Jane told us what you were doing this morning -are you okay?" Jake whispered.

"Not really, but it had to be done. Is mom with Quinn?"

"Yeah - she'll be out in a couple of minutes. Look, I want you to know - I'm sorry, for everything. I should have been there for you and Jane."

"You still can be, dad - for all of us - because Cleo and Quinn are going to need you, too."

Standing outside of the waiting room, Helen listened to the conversation between her daughter and husband. As she entered the room, Daria and Jake broke their embrace. Daria moved to sit next to Jane. Helen and Jake sat beside them.

"Jeff's funeral is going to be up in Vermont next Monday. Kevin, Jamie, Joey, and Mack are going to be the pallbearers. Aunt Amy is coming this weekend to stay here and to check on Quinn. I need to ask Andrea if Cleo will be able to go - if she can't, then we need to talk to Trent about keeping her," Daria's voice wavered. "You can stay at our house if you want to - we have plenty of room."

Jake was about to speak, but Helen beat him to it. "We'll stay at a hotel - "

"No, Helen - Daria wants us to stay at their home and that is what we are going to do." The look on Jake's face told Helen there was no room for discussion. His expression softened as he turned to his oldest daughter. "I'll need your address, kiddo. I've been waiting to try out that GPS system I got last year for Christmas."


	8. Chapter 8

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Promises (Part 8 )

Daria and Jane arrived early at the hospital Thursday morning. Daria went and visited Quinn while Jane waited in Cleo's room for her to wake up. Sitting quietly as she watched her soon-to-be charge resting peacefully, Jane wondered if she and Daria were ready to step into the roles of parents. Her thoughts were broken by the door opening behind her. She turned to see Helen walk in and take the seat next to hers.

"Hi Mrs. Morgendorffer, Daria's upstairs visiting Quinn," Jane sighed.

"Well, at least you still call me Mrs. Morgendorffer instead of Helen like my own daughter does."

"I don't hate you - Daria might - but I don't. I should, with the way you hurt Daria by not being there for us, but I can't. See, as much as you piss me off, I still have a twisted air of respect for you. Daria wouldn't be here," Jane said as her hand made a swooping motion above her, "without you. I'm happy and married to the woman I love because of you. So to me, you'll always be Mrs. Morgendorffer - unless you get your head out of your ass, then Daria and I might start calling you mom," Jane's deep blue eyes were staring directly at Helen, unmoving and unblinking.

Helen was the first to break the stare. Jane continued to look at her mother-in-law until she heard Daria's voice coming through the door. Daria entered the room with a slight smile on her face, until she saw her mother and the smile instantly vanished.

"Jane, did you forget your cellphone at Trent's? The college called - Professor Jacobs had to have an emergency triple bypass this morning. They want to know if you will cover his Renaissance History class this semester."

"That means I will be teaching until three everyday. Will that give you enough to time to sleep and pick up Cleo from school?"

Daria nodded. "You cover getting her ready for school, I'll take care of picking her up and getting started with her homework. I can sleep from seven to two and be fine," she said as she handed the phone to Jane.

Jane gave her wife a small kiss before leaving the room. Daria sat down in the chair that Jane just vacated.

"Jane's a teacher?" Helen asked.

"No - a Professor, second year. She worked her ass off and when she earned her Masters, the dean offered her the opportunity to teach the History of Modern Art class. You would have known that, Helen, if you hadn't returned the graduation celebration invitation we sent you," Daria said as her voice grew cold.

Helen was about to respond when Cleo woke up. The bad mood that had hovered over the room was erased when Cleo smiled. Andrea arrived in the room shortly after eleven. After going over all of the paperwork and care instructions with Daria and Jane, Cleo was allowed to leave. As the nurse helped her into the wheelchair, Cleo asked Andrea if she could see her mom. Andrea shook her head and told her that she would have to wait until Quinn was doing a little better. Daria promised the little girl that she would bring her to see her mother as soon as she was allowed to.

"Is it time for me to leave? Aunt Jane promised we could get pizza on the way home, because the food here was yucky - ick!" She stuck out her tongue and shook her head.


	9. Chapter 9

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Promises (Part 9)

Amy arrived later on that afternoon. Trent greeted her at the door, grabbed her luggage and pointed to the living room. Jane was working on a painting of Cleo watching Daria type on the computer. Seeing Amy enter the room, Jane gave a her a quick smile. Daria turned around when she heard her aunt's voice behind her.

"My favorite niece, niece-in-law, and great niece all in one room, things are right in my world. How are you feeling, Cleo?"

"My arm and leg hurt and itch a little. I'm worried about my mommy, and I miss my daddy," Cleo answered with sadness in her voice.

Amy gently wrapped her arms around the five-year-old. "I'm worried about your mommy, too. That's why I came here, so that I can stay with your mom while you, Aunt Daria, and Aunt Jane can say goodbye to your dad. Did you know I was just a couple of years older than you when my dad died?"

Cleo shook her head. "How did he die?"

"Car crash - like yours."

"Did you cry?" Cleo asked as her voice broke.

"For three days straight. You might feel a little better if you did," Amy whispered.

Cleo leaned her head against Amy's shoulder and began to let the tears fall. She soon felt all three of her aunts encircle her. Thirty minutes later, the little girls sobs began to subside. Amy, Daria, and Jane didn't break their embrace until they heard a tiny yawn. Amy reached over and grabbed a tissue and wiped her great-niece's eyes and cheeks. Jane moved over so that Cleo could lie down. Daria continued to stroke Cleo's hair until the five-year-old fell into a deep sleep. The three women made their way into the adjourning kitchen.

"Mom never talked about when my grandfather died," Daria sighed.

"As you know, our mom and dad played favorites. Rita was and still is mom's, while I was a daddy's girl. Helen got the raw end of the deal all around. One of the last things our dad did before he died was buy her and Rita cars. Mom insisted that he get Rita a top-of-the-line vehicle, while Helen ended up with a Dodge Dart. When he died a month later, she was still angry with him."

"How old were you when your dad died?"

"Seven - my eighth birthday was two days after the funeral," Amy's voice grew distant. She quickly shook her head to clear the images from her mind. "Enough about that, how are the two of you dealing with Helen and Jake?"

"Well, Jake apologized, but Helen still hates seeing us together," Jane answered.

Amy reached out and grabbed one of Daria and Jane's hands. "It'll be her loss, Jane. Just remember - I'm in your corner, no matter what happens. "

"Thanks, Aunt Amy, because I might need an alibi if she pisses me off this weekend," Daria said.


	10. Chapter 10

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Promises (Part10)

The minivan that Daria rented to drive back to Vermont in was perfect. Cleo was able to sit comfortably in the back and watch DVDs. Not being a big fan of driving on the highway, Daria was relieved when Trent offered to to take the keys. Jane rode in the back with Cleo, telling the five-year-old about the time she and Daria babysat the Gupty kids. The little girl giggled as Jane retold the twisted fairy tales she and Daria had made up. Unknown to the two occupants in the back, Trent could see a small smile come over Daria's face as she listened to her wife and niece. As he looked in the rear-view mirror, he saw his sister wearing the same expression.

When they arrived at appropriately named Casa Lane II, Daria and Cleo were sleeping peacefully. Jane and Trent got out of the van and went inside and moved some of the living room furniture around. Jane then headed into Cleo's room and added some pillows to the bed. Deciding that the house was now ready for Cleo to be wheeled in. Jane gently nudged her spouse to wake her up. Daria came to and slid out of the passenger seat and set-up the wheelchair. Somehow, the three Lanes were able to get Cleo into the house without waking her up. A half an hour later, Helen and Jake pulled up to the house.

Helen and Jake were surprised when they pulled into the driveway. The house was a renovated farm house with six bedrooms, four baths, a studio for Jane and an office for Daria - both of which featured views of the mountains. Trent helped Jake with the luggage while Daria showed Helen to their room. As they walked up the stairs, they looked at the pictures hanging on the walls. Pictures of Daria and Jane while they were dating and at the top of the stairs, a photo of their wedding. Jake could see the joy mixed with a hint of pain in Daria's eyes. Helen continue to follow Trent while Jake stared at the picture. A few moments later, Trent went to go back downstairs. He saw Jake run his hand over the frame.

"They were really upset that you didn't attend the ceremony," Trent said as he began descent.

Jake nodded as he walked towards in the direction of the guest rooms. He saw Helen sitting on one of the beds and entered the room. They unpacked and went downstairs. Daria and Jane were sitting on one of the couches. Daria was leaning against her wife as Jane had her wrapped up in a warm embrace. Helen and Jake sat down on the couch next to theirs. The sound of Annie Lennox's voice filled the room.

"When do we have to be at the funeral home?" Helen asked.

"Not until Sunday - the visitation is from three to five. The funeral will be Monday at eleven. I have to go there briefly tomorrow to sign the paperwork and to talk to them about allowing Cleo and us to have a few minutes alone with Jeff to say goodbye in private," Daria sighed.

"I think that's a good idea, kid - Daria. Do you want me or your mom to go with you tomorrow?" Jake asked.

"I wouldn't mind the company, dad."

Jake reached over and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Cleo woke up a few minutes later, ready to eat. Jane ordered carry-out from the Italian restaurant near their house. She left and returned with a couple of bags full of various dishes. Later that night, Cleo asked Daria to make up a bedtime story. Jane leaned against the door frame and listened to her as she wife as she spun her tale. Jane wasn't the only one eavesdropping - Helen had stopped before walking up the stairs and could hear her only grandchild giggle at the story being told by her oldest daughter. When the tale was done, Helen could hear Cleo tell Daria and Jane good night and that she loved them. Then she heard the five-year-old ask Daria and Jane a question that made her blood go cold.

"Aunt Daria, why doesn't Grandma love you anymore?"

"Because she didn't want me to marry Aunt Jane."

Cleo was quiet for a moment. "Mommy says you are a lot happier when Aunt Jane is around. Why doesn't Grandma want you to be happy?"

"I don't know. Good night Cleo," Daria said as she turned off the bedroom light.

As Jane led Daria to their bedroom, Helen's shoulders slumped as she began her climb upstairs. It was around six in the morning when Daria's cell phone began to ring. Daria moved her hand along the nightstand until she brushed over it. She quickly flipped up the phone before it went to voicemail.

"Helllooooo," Daria mumbled.

Amy's voice came through the speaker, "Sorry to wake you up, but I wanted to let you know that Quinn's finally breathing on her own."


	11. Chapter 11

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Promises (Part 11)

Daria got up and told her parents about the upgrade in Quinn's condition. A look of sad relief came over Helen and Jake's faces. As she turned to go back downstairs, Jake told her that she could sleep in - he would take care of breakfast and Cleo. She walked over to him and gave him a hug. Returning to her room, Daria crawled into bed and snuggled against Jane. Daria closed her eyes as she felt Jane's hand gently massaging the back of her neck and upper back. Their lips met for a long kiss before they fell back asleep.

When they finally woke up, Jane walked into Cleo's room to find her bed empty. She looked out on the porch and saw Cleo and Jake finger-painting. Laughing at the green nose Jake was now sporting, Jane headed for the kitchen. Helen was sitting at the table reading the paper. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, Jane sat next to her mother-in-law in silence. Helen looked over at Jane for a moment before moving her glance to the table.

"Daria told me that you are a professor?"

"Yeah - I never thought that I would go into the teaching profession, but it's great. I'm glad Daria convinced me to accept the position when the college offered it to me."

"Has Daria talked about going back to college to finish her law degree?"

"Briefly - before her second book was released. Quinn has basically begged her to finish. I know that she really wants Daria to be one of her partners at the law firm, but Daria is soo happy doing what she's doing now. I am not going to force Daria into doing something that won't make her happy."

"But Jane - she only had one more year to go,"

"I know that - and I know you were beyond thrilled when she changed majors after her freshman year at Raft. What you have to keep in mind though - is while she may have the mind of a lawyer, she has the heart of a writer. Just because she changed majors, didn't mean she stopped writing. Then she started deejaying for WRFT and found out that not only did she like it, she was good at it. Who knows, maybe with Quinn getting hurt, Daria may change her mind and get her law degree, but it has to be Daria's decision and choice with no outside pressure."

"I would think that being her wife, you would want her to reach her full potential."

"She is Helen, just not in the field of your choosing. Both of her books have been in the top five of the New York Times best selling list and she is making a killing on ebooks. But most importantly to me, she is happy. I know you think me coming back into her life corrupted her, but she was already a deejay and shopping her first novel around when I moved here. Yes - she did ask me what I thought she should do and I told her that she should do what ever made her smile. It's not like we've had to worry about mortgages and stuff like that. I mean we paid this place years while we were still dating - our student loans too."

"What? How could you do that?"

"Well, my parents passed away a couple of years ago and left each of us kids a nice little bit of inheritance. Trust me - my brothers and sisters and I were completely stunned. Between that and her earnings from her first book, we paid off everything we could. The earnings from her second book paid for our wedding and my last year of graduate school - the rest went into savings. Now, we each put a part of our salaries in a retirement fund, a college fund for Cleo, and rest goes to daily bills and expenses, supplies, and renovations on the house. Her agent is also in negotiations to get books made into movies or video games. I can see Melody Powers being the next Lara Croft or Indiana Jones."

Helen sat quietly for a moment, stirring her own cup of coffee. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents Jane. I also thought it was your idea that she drop out of law school."

Unknown to both women, the topic of their conversation was awake and had been listening. She decided to let her presence be known. "No mom - it was my choice. All Jane has done is stand beside the woman she loves. And considering who she fell in love with, I know it hasn't been the easiest thing for her to do either," Daria said as she wrapped Jane in a warm embrace. Keeping her arms around her wife, Daria turned and looked at her mother. "I'm sorry if you feel as though I disappointed you, but right now - I don't want to be a lawyer. I just want to write, deejay, help Quinn with Cleo, and be thebest wife I can be to Jane."


	12. Chapter 12

Promises (Part 12)

Shortly after eleven, the phone calls started coming in of people who were arriving in town for the visitation and service. Mack, Jodie, and Kevin came together and were the first to call. Cleo's face lit up when she heard Kevin's name. Stacy and Joey would be getting into town around three after they briefly checked on Quinn. Brittany and her new husband would be arriving at four. Much to Daria's surprise, Mr. Demartino and Mrs. Defoe-DeMartino called around noon. Daria invited the group and Jamie over for dinner at six.

Daria and Jake left at one to meet with the director of the funeral home. The director showed them which rooms were going to be used for the visitation and which one was going to be used for the service. Daria asked about Cleo, Jane, and herself being able to see Jeff privately before the service began, the director agreed. With the last of the details worked out, Daria and Jake thanked the director and stepped out of the funeral home.

As they arrived at Jake's car, he looked over at his oldest daughter and saw the tears forming behind her glasses. Jake pulled Daria into a fierce hug as she buried her head against him and shook. He gently placed his chin on the top of her head. They stayed like that for several minutes after Daria had calmed down. Finally, Daria lifted her head and gave him a weak smile. The drive home was quiet barring an occasional sniffle. When they arrived back at Daria's home, the two shared another hug. They walked into the house and went looking for their respected spouses.

Jake and Daria found both of their wives hard at work. Helen was in the dining room setting up the tables, while Jane was in the kitchen preparing dinner, Cleo of course, was supervising. When Daria asked where Trent was, Jane replied that he had gone to the grocery store. A few minutes later, there was a knock on Daria's door. Daria opened the front door to find Kevin, Jodie, and Mack standing in front of her.

"I know you said that dinner was at six, but I really wanted to see Cleo," Kevin said.

Hearing Kevin's voice, Cleo rolled into the living room. "Uncle Kevvy! Uncle Kevvy!"

Kevin carefully wrapped his arms around the little girl. "How's my favorite goddaughter?"

"I'm your only goddaughter, Uncle Kevin. I still hurt and I want to go outside and play, but I have to wait until I am a little better to do that," Cleo frowned.

"Well, when you get to feeling better and if it's okay with your Aunt Daria and Jane, Mack and I will take you to see the new farm we buying for our creamery," Kevin said with a big grin on his face.

"As long as it isn't too far away, I don't see where that would be a problem. New farm - I thought you guys bought one a couple of years back," Daria said as she led them to the kitchen where Jane stopped chopping vegetables up long enough to greet them .

"It's too small now - Jodie used her business savvy and found us a west coast distributor. As of last week - Bro and QB Ice cream went nationwide!" Mack replied.

"Congratulations - you guys really deserved it. Can I get anyone something to drink?" Daria asked.

After finding out what the others wanted, Daria left to go into the kitchen. She was a little surprised to see Kevin follow her. As Daria was pouring Cleo's apple juice, Kevin looked at Daria and Jane.

"How are Cleo and Quinn doing?"

"Quinn is breathing on her own and the doctors are beginning to see some improvement. Cleo misses both of them a lot. We just hope that Quinn wakes up soon, that way Cleo can go visit her," Daria answered.

Kevin nodded. "Do you happen to know if any of the houses around here are for sale? I want to be around more for her. If it hadn't been for Jeff my second senior year, I would have never graduated. I know that I could never replace him as her dad, but I think it might help Cleo if Uncle Kevvy was around more."

"I think that if you did decide to move around here, she will be driving us crazy to come see you - but we didn't have that far of a trip to begin with. So, after dinner, we can help you check around," Jane said.

"That would be great - I'll carry these," Kevin grabbed his and Cleo's drinks and headed back to the porch.

Jane looked over at Daria, who seemed like she was lost in thought. "Are you okay there, love?"

"I just realized that Jeff did know what he was doing when he named Kevin Cleo's godfather."


	13. Chapter 13

Promises (Part 13)

When Stacy and Joey arrived, Daria asked them about Quinn. Stacy smiled and said that according to her doctor, there was a good chance that Quinn would be waking up in the next couple of days. Stacy went looking for Cleo - she found her in her bedroom playing video games with Kevin. Seeing her mother's best friend, Cleo paused her game and gave Stacy a one-armed hug. Stacy returned the gesture. She stayed in the room and watched Cleo and Kevin return to their game.

As the rest of their guests arrived, Daria and Jane started setting out the food for dinner. Kevin wheeled Cleo into the dining room. Cleo looked down at the food for a moment, then up at her aunts.

"Umm, Aunt Jane - did you or Aunt Daria cook?"

"I did," Jane smirked.

"Okay - that means it's safe to eat. I love you Aunt Daria, but you cook like Grandpa Jake," the five-year-old said making every one around the table laugh.

The conversation during dinner was light and jovial. Mr. and Mrs. DeMartino passed around pictures of their wedding and honeymoon. Jane was still in a slight state of shock over her favorite teacher from high school marrying Mr. DeMartino. When dinner was over, Helen, Jake, and Trent volunteered for clean up duty while the former Lawndale High students gathered in the living room and told their favorite Jeff stories. Several of them included Quinn, of course, which kept Cleo quite fascinated. Her mom and dad had told her a couple of stories, like what happened with a squirrel, and something about a play at school - but these were new stories. Each story was followed by laughter, and occasionally a tear or two would fall. Around nine o'clock, Cleo let out a long yawn. Taking this as their cue, the group decided to call it a night. As Daria and Jane said their goodbyes to their friends, Kevin wheeled Cleo into her bedroom. He carefully placed Cleo on the bed, covered her up, and gave her a good night hug. Kevin left Cleo's room and joined Jodie and Mack, who were waiting for him by the front door. He gave Daria and Jane a quick hug as he exited the house.

Daria and Jane walked into the kitchen and Helen handed them each a coffee. Sitting down next to Jake and Trent, Daria thanked them for taking care of the kitchen. The three just shrugged it off. They had enjoyed listening to the friends talk and reminisce. Daria and Jane nodded their heads in agreement. Knowing that tomorrow and Monday were going to be difficult on them, Daria and Jane decided to call it a night. Everyone left the kitchen and headed to their rooms. Jane left her bedroom to use the restroom and to check on Cleo. Jane smiled as she watched her niece sleeping peacefully. When she returned to her room, she heard the sounds of orchestra music playing softly. Daria was in bed, holding her glasses in her hand while covering her eyes with her arm. Jane took the glasses and placed them on the nightstand. Daria gave her a long kiss before resting her head on Jane's upper chest. Jane began to rub Daria's back and soon felt Daria's breath begin to even out. Staring up at the ceiling, Jane wondered how her wife was going to handle the next two days.

Sunday morning, Jane drove over to Quinn's house. Cleo had asked for her two favorite dresses to wear. As she walked through the door, Jane felt a rush of sadness come over her. The more pictures she saw of Jeff and Quinn, the worse it became. By the time she had made it to Cleo's room, her mind and body were drained. Grabbing the two dresses, Jane left her niece's room and the house. She sat down in her car and pulled herself together long enough to go check to make sure that she had locked the front door. Jane then waited about twenty minutes before leaving to head home. Daria was pacing across the porch when Jane's car finally pulled into the driveway. She watched as her spouse grabbed Cleo's clothes and slowly stepped out of the car. Daria walked down, only to see a pair of tired, haunted eyes staring back at her. Jane handed her the dresses, gave her a weak embrace, then went into the house, headed straight for her room and closed the door.

A few minutes later, Daria entered their bedroom and saw Jane staring at one of their wedding photos. It was the two of them standing next to Jeff and Quinn. Daria sat down beside and wrapped her arms around her wife. Jane turned and returned Daria's embrace.

"I spent all night last night wondering how you were going to handle today and tomorrow and I end up being the one wanting to collapse," Jane whispered.

Daria tightened her embrace and kissed Jane on the forehead. "I'll make a deal with you - you lean on me, I'll lean on you and maybe ,together, we can keep ourselves upright."


	14. Chapter 14

Promises (Part 14)

The visitation was a somber affair. Many of Jeff's co-workers and Quinn's employees were in attendance, as well as their friends. About halfway through, Daria excused herself and stepped outside the funeral home. For the first time since she had quit smoking four years earlier, she wanted a cigarette. Leaning against the railing, she failed to notice the door behind her closing - until a thin hand placed itself on her shoulder with a Marlboro Light resting between it's thumb and index finger. Daria grabbed the cigarette, then proceeded to just stare at it.

"You know Janey won't talk to you if you smoke that, right?" Trent said in a calming voice.

Daria handed the cigarette back and nodded. "I thought you had quit, too."

"I did - but I still keep a pack handy for when Nick and Max want to kill each other," Trent chuckled. "Janey sent me out here to check on you - are you okay?"

"Yeah - I just wanted a minute to myself. Let's head back inside, I don't want to upset Cleo or Jane," Daria said.

Trent gave Daria a hug before they went inside. Helen and Jake walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. She was surprised to realize that she began to hug them back. Daria went and sat down next to Jane and Cleo. About a half an hour later, the visitation was over. Kevin wheeled Cleo to the vehicle and placed her gently inside. Trent drove Cleo, Daria, and Jane home. Trent looked over at his little sister and saw the sadness in her deep, blue eyes. Reaching over, he took one of her hands in his and gave a gentle squeeze. Jane turned and gave him a sad, small smile. They rode home in silence, battling the emotional exhaustion they were starting to feel.

When they arrived back at Daria and Jane's house, Cleo wanted to finger-paint. Trent headed for his room to lay down. Daria and Jane carefully got her out of the car and wheeled her to the porch. Jane set up a canvas for herself and Cleo. Jake joined them, leaving Daria alone in the kitchen with Helen. As they sat across from each other, Helen could see all the doubt, fear, and pain in her eldest daughter's eyes. Daria was zoned out, when Helen began to speak, until two words snapped Daria back into the moment.

"I'm sorry," Helen's voice broke. "I shouldn't have shut you and Jane out. How can I make this right?"

"You can't - but that doesn't mean we can't start over. Quinn's going to need a strong family around her. Cleo's going to want her grandma around more than just on holidays and well - with Jane losing her mom, we could both use a little parental advice now and then. Quinn was ready to be a mom when she had Cleo, I'm not sure if I am - even if it's just a fill-in role," Daria walked over to the side window and stared out at her porch. Helen followed her. They watched as Jane was teaching Cleo about the finer points of finger painting. Daria stared down at her floor. "Jane is, and Jane wants to be - but I don't know if I will ever be ready. Now this has happened, and although Quinn's starting to improve, that doesn't guarantee that she will make it or be in good enough shape to take care of Cleo when she gets out."

Helen put her hand on Daria's shoulder, "Jeff and Quinn must have felt as though you could handle it." Helen wrapped her arms around her daughter, "Over the past couple of days, I've watched how protective and caring you and Jane are towards Cleo. I think they made right decision."

Daria looked at her mom and smiled. Little did they know that Cleo, Jake, and Jane had been watching them. Cleo looked over at Jane.

"Does this mean that Aunt Daria and Grandma aren't mad at each other any more?"

"You know, kiddo - I think you're right," Jane said as she gave her niece a kiss on the cheek.

Around nine, Daria and Jane got Cleo ready for bed. Her little eyes were soon closed and she was off to dream land. They walked into the living room, where Helen and Jake were leaning against each other on the couch, watching an old movie. Daria and Jane joined them until Daria let out a long yawn. As they headed for their room, they heard Helen wish them good night.

"You too - mom," Daria said right before she closed her bedroom door.


	15. Chapter 15

Promises (Part 15)

Daria and Jane finished getting Cleo dressed for the funeral. Kevin, Jodie, and Mack were on their way over. Cleo asked to be wheeled into the living room to wait for Kevin. Jake and Helen sat with her so that Daria and Jane could get ready. Jake grabbed a deck of cards from the end table and was about to deal out the cards when they heard a knock on the door. Helen opened the door and let Kevin, Jodie, and Mack inside. Kevin sat next to Cleo and the two of them and Jake began a game of go fish. Daria and Jane came out of their bedroom a few minutes later. Jane went upstairs to find out if Trent was ready. Knocking on the door, Jane opened it finding her brother becoming increasingly frustrated with his tie.

Jane stood in front of her big brother and fixed his tie and collar. When she was finished, he gave her a quick hug as they left the room. Once the Lane siblings were downstairs, the group headed for the funeral home. Jamie, Joey, and Stacy were already there waiting for them. The director met them at the door and led them to the Service Hall the funeral was going to be held. Jeff's coffin was being moved into the room. The director asked Daria if it was okay to let any one else say private goodbyes first. Daria nodded and turned to the group. Stacy, Joey, and Jamie went in first. A few moments later, they came out and Kevin, Jodie, and Mack entered. When they came out, Kevin was visibly shaken. Cleo reached over and grabbed his hand. Kevin looked down and gave her a small smile. Jake and Helen looked over at Daria and Jane and asked if they wanted to go together. Daria and Jane agreed. Daria knelt down in front of her niece.

"Are you sure you want to do this Cleo?"

The five-year-old looked at her aunt with sad eyes. "I want to say goodbye to my daddy."

Daria wheeled Cleo to the front of the room. Jane walked beside her, holding the little girl's hand. Cleo's grip became tighter the closer she got to the coffin. Helen, Jake, and Trent stayed in the back of the room. Daria stopped in front of the casket, which was placed low enough for Cleo to see her father inside. Cleo let go of Jane's hand and reached down to grab Jeff's hand. Daria sat down in the pew directly behind them.

"Hi, daddy. I miss you a lot, especially at night - I miss how you used to sing to me at night. I know mommy will miss you too when she gets better. Aunt Daria and Aunt Jane are taking really good care of me. Uncle Kevin wants to move here and take care of me, too. I love you, daddy. I hope you will be able to see me grow up cause I'm sure it's hard to see down here from way up there," Cleo said before letting go of his hand. She turned to Daria and asked to be excused.

Daria wheeled her to where Kevin was sitting. The three of them sat while everyone else paid their respects. A few minutes later, Helen, Jake, and Trent came out and told Daria that Jane was waiting for her. Daria kissed Cleo on the cheek and went back into the Service Hall. Daria walked up to Jane and reached out her hand. Staring down at the coffin, they stood together in silence. After a few moments, Jane willed herself to speak.

"Jeff, you and Quinn have been such important parts of our lives. Thanks for supporting Daria and I since we've been together. I'm going to miss you," Jane said and sat down.

Daria took her brother-in-law's hand. "Jeff, I know when we were in high school, we really didn't know each other. Then, you married my sister and I realized that you were a pretty decent guy. I know that you two loved each other very much. I always admired how you were always there for Cleo and Quinn. I promise you, that Jane and I will do our best to take care of them both now that you are gone. Goodbye, Jeff. I love you, and I'll miss you," Daria voice was barely above a whisper.

The two of them left the room, and joined Kevin and Cleo. The rest of the guests started arriving a half an hour later. The service was sweet and sad. Cleo reached over and grabbed one of Daria and Jane's hands and wouldn't let go until the service was finished. Cleo didn't want to go to the gravesite and asked if she could go back to Daria's. Daria and Jane nodded, signaled for Trent to join them, and told Jake and Helen that Cleo wanted to leave. Helen hugged her granddaughter and told Daria and Jane they would see them at the house once the burial was over. Jake kissed Cleo on the cheek and gave Daria a hug before watching them head to their car.

When they arrived back home, Cleo wanted to go in her room and take a nap. Daria and Jane stayed with Cleo until her sad, tired eyes closed and fell asleep. Daria and Jane left the room, but kept the door opened. Emotionally drained, they sat down on the couch and wrapped an arm around each other. Daria leaned her head against Jane and drew a long breath. The sound of Daria's cell phone going off broke the silence that filled the house.

"Hello," Daria said in a sad, distant voice.

"Hey, it's Amy. Quinn's awake. She's still really doped up, but she wanted me to call you. Hang on."

"Daria," the voice was hoarse and tired.

Daria's eyes shot wide open and her body sat straight up. "Quinn?"


	16. Chapter 16

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Promises (Part 16)

When Helen, Jake, and Trent entered the house, they found Daria and Jane busy packing. Trent's luggage was already downstairs. Fearing the worst, Helen and Jake followed them into Cleo's room. The five-year-old was still sleeping. Daria turned to her parents and hugged them.

"Quinn's awake," Daria whispered.

Helen's grip around her daughter tightened as she broke into tears. Jake gave Daria one more squeeze before heading upstairs to start gathering their things. Trent began loading the luggage up into their vehicles. Cleo woke up a few minutes later, and Jane told her the good news. Cleo's eyes lit up and a wide smile came over her face. She asked when she would get to see her mommy and Jane told her they would ask Quinn's doctor once they got back to Lawndale.

Daria called Jamie, Jodie, and Stacy and gave them the news. Kevin called Daria back and asked if he could ride back to Lawndale with them. An hour later, Jodie and Mack dropped him off at Casa Lane II. Kevin offered to drive so that Helen and Jake could get some rest. Daria did a quick walk-through of the house before the group took off. The trip back to Lawndale seemed to go much faster. Daria called Amy once they were about an hour away from Cedars of Lawndale. Amy told them that Quinn was resting and that she would meet them at Trent's house. Amy opened the front door when she saw the two sets of headlights pull in.

Kevin and Jane wheeled Cleo into the house as Daria and Helen hugged Amy. Jane took a couple of pictures of Cleo surrounded by everyone. Then, Jane put the camera in video mode.

"Hi mommy, I can't wait until I can come visit you. Aunt Jane, Grandpa Jake, and me drew you lots of pictures. They've been taking good care of me. I love you," Cleo kissed the camera.

Knowing that the hospital wouldn't allow patient visits after nine, Daria, Helen, Jake, and Jane left. They arrived to find Quinn sleeping peacefully, her body heavily casted. Helen took one of her hands while Daria took the other. Quinn's eyes slowly opened to see something she never thought she would. Her family standing around her bed, not speaking any words of anger.

"How's Cleo?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"She's getting better. We have to bring her back here at the end of the week to get her stitches removed," Daria said with a sad smile. "How are you?"

"I want to fall apart, but I know I can't. Amy and Dr. Phillips told me about, about ..." Quinn fought to keep the tears from falling. Quinn looked up at the group, "Does this mean we're a family again? Because I really need all of you right now."

"I've apologized to Daria and Jane and we're starting over, all of us," Helen said.

Quinn looked over to Daria, who nodded. Daria could feel Quinn's hand tighten around her own. Daria stood up and kissed Quinn's forehead. Jane showed Quinn the video she had made of Cleo, which brought a small smile to Quinn's face. The four them talked for a few more minutes until Quinn's medicine kicked in. Before they left, Quinn asked Daria and Helen to stay behind. Jake and Jane left the room.

"Dr. Phillips said that it's going to take several months before I will be ready to come home. Daria, thanks for keeping your promise. But now, I need you to make me another one," Quinn struggled to keep her eyes open. "Promise me you'll go back to school and get your law degree. I'm going to need all the help I can get there."

Daria's eyes closed and her throat tightened. I don't want this - not right now. As she was about to speak, Helen knelt down beside Quinn.

"Quinn, sweetie - with Daria and Jane taking care of Cleo, it's going to be hard for her to go back to college and work. What if I came and helped you? I started off in family law, it wouldn't take much for me to get back into it."

"Are you sure mom? What about Eric and the firm?"

"After almost losing the both of you, I've come to realize that somethings are just a little more important."

Quinn closed her eyes and fell back asleep. Daria and Helen walked out of the room to find Jake and Jane waiting for them near the elevators. Daria pulled Helen into a seperate elevator.

"Why? Why are you doing this? They finally made you partner! You worked your ass off for that promotion,"

"Daria - I didn't want you to make a promise that I know you'd keep despite the fact that it would have made you miserable. But I want you to make a promise to me in return."

"What is it?"

"Promise me that you'll consider Jane's feelings about starting a family. You're more ready than you think you are," Helen said with a small smile on her face.

"I promise."


	17. Chapter 17

****

Promises (End)

For the rest of that week, Daria and Quinn talked about their parents, Jeff and his funeral, and Cleo. Everyday, Daria would have a new video that Jane had shot to show her little sister. Kevin joined Daria a few times while Jane would come with Trent once Daria arrived home. On Friday, Daria and Jane brought Cleo back to Cedars of Lawndale so that Andrea could remove her stitches. While Andrea was finishing with Cleo, Dr. Phillips came by and let Daria know that Quinn had been moved to a new room and that Cleo could visit her. The five-year-old's eyes lit up as she looked at her aunts. Andrea finished removing the last stitch, did a check of the casts and told Daria and Jane that Cleo was ready to go visit her mom. The former classmates exchanged phone numbers and emails, with Daria promising to send Andrea a copy of her latest book before it hit the stores.

Daria wheeled Cleo to the elevator while Jane walked beside them. As they made their way to Quinn's room, Daria went in first. Daria watched her little sister sleeping peacefully. Walking back to the door, Daria opened it so that Jane could wheel Cleo in. Jane placed Cleo so that the little girl could hold her mother's hand. Quinn's eyes opened to see her daughter smiling at her. She gently squeezed Cleo's hand and returned the smile.

"Mommy - we have matching casts," Cleo said as she lifted her broken arm.

Quinn gave a slight laugh. "How are you doing?"

"I got the stitches out of my head," Cleo lifted her red hair to show the bandage on her forehead. "My arm and leg itches, too. I miss you and daddy a lot. When will you get to come home?"

"I miss you and your daddy, too. Mommy's gonna to have to stay in the hospital for a little while longer, then mommy has to go to a center to help her get to feeling better. I should be home in time for your birthday, Cleo."

"Mommy - my birthday isn't until August. That's a long way away."

"I know, but mommy got hurt really bad and needs time to heal. Have you been a good girl for Aunt Daria and Aunt Jane?"

"Yes, I eat all of my food, even when Aunt Daria cooks and Aunt Jane is teaching me a lot about paints."

"Good, now school starts back next week and I want you to listen to your teacher and continue to behave for Daria and Jane."

"I will, mommy."

"And on the weekends, we'll come back here so that you can see mommy," Daria said.

A few minutes later, Quinn began to tire. She lifted her daughter's hand to her lips and kissed it. Cleo didn't want to leave, but knew that her mom needed sleep. Cleo waved and blew her mom a kiss as Jane wheeled her out of the room. Daria bent down and gave her sister a gentle hug.

"Take good care of her. I love you," Quinn whispered.

"I will. I love you, too. We'll see you tomorrow," Daria said as she stood up.

Daria walked out of the room to where Cleo and Jane were waiting for her. Once they were in the elevator, Daria hugged Cleo and gave Jane a kiss. They headed to Trent's house where Amy was waiting to say goodbye before going home. That night, Quinn called and wished Cleo good night. The five-year-old fell asleep with a huge smile on her face. Daria and Jane went into Jane's old room. Sitting on the bed, Jane wrapped her arms around her wife.

"You've been making all of these promises to everyone and their uncle, except for me. When do I get my turn?" Jane playfully huffed between kisses down Daria's neck.

"I did make you a promise - to love you 'til death do us part ... " Daria said as Jane nuzzled against her. Daria took a finger and place it on Jane's chin and raised it until they were looking into each other's eyes. "And I plan on doing every thing in my power to keep that promise for a long, long time to come."

**End**


	18. Epilogue

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Epilogue

Jane and Trent were hanging up the "Happy Birthday Cleo" banner Jane had made for the now six-year-old. The "Welcome Home, Mommy" banner Cleo had made for Quinn was already up and waving in the ceiling fan breeze. Helen was busy blowing up balloons, while Jake put the finishing touches on the birthday cake. Jodie and Mack arrived with several pints of their latest ice cream Cleopatra's Chocolate Caramel Crunch. It was chocolate ice cream with chocolate covered waffle cones and caramel mixed throughout. Once the ice cream was in the freezer, Jodie and Mack headed for the living room to help with the last of the decorations. Jamie, Joey, and Stacy arrived about a half an hour later. The group followed Jane as she showed off the additions she and Daria had made to the house. Two new downstairs bedrooms, a new bathroom, an indoor pool and small excercise room had been built on. With the tour finished, the group went back into the living room and waited for the guests of honor to arrive.

Cleo, Daria, and Quinn were waiting for Quinn's release paperwork to be signed while Kevin loaded the last of Quinn's belongings into the Kevin's new Jeep. Cleo couldn't wait for Quinn to finally be able to go home. An hour later, Kevin wheeled Quinn out of the rehabilitation center's doors and towards his car. The drive home, they talked about how Helen and Jamie were doing with the law firm and about all the renovations to Daria's house. When Quinn returned to Vermont in March, she had asked Daria and Jane if she and Cleo could move in with them. Quinn sold her house to her parents, who had been staying in it since January. Most of the trip though was spent with Quinn listening to Cleo about how great of a job Aunt Daria and Aunt Jane did taking care of her.

When they arrived home, Daria came in first and opened the door. Kevin wheeled Quinn inside with Cleo sitting on her lap. Quinn saw all of her friends and family who were gathered around and tears started to fall. Cleo started jumping up and down and looking at all of the balloons that were all over the living room. Quinn pointed to the Welcome Home Mommy banner and turned to Cleo.

"Did you make that?"

"Yes, I did - Aunt Jane helped me pick out the colors while Aunt Daria helped me with the spelling."

Quinn reached out and gave her daughter a hug. "It's perfect, Cleo. Happy Birthday, mommy loves you." She kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"I love you, too. Now - where are my presents?" The six-year-old smiled.

The party lasted a couple of hours, with a good time had by all. After everyone left, Quinn wheeled herself around the house to familiarize herself with where everything was. That night for the first time in almost nine months, Quinn got to read her daughter a bedtime story. When she finished, Quinn kissed Cleo good night and headed into the living room. Daria and Jane were sitting on the couch watching television. Daria lifted her head off of Jane's arm and smiled at her sister.

"What's up, roomie?"

"I just wanted to thank you again for taking such good care of Cleo. I know it wasn't exactly something you wanted to do - "

"That's not true, Quinn. I made that promise because I wanted to be there for her if she needed me. I love you, sis."

"I love you, too. And Jane as well. - I mean I would be so lost right now without you guys."

"It's going to be okay, Quinn. Just remember, we're here for you. Who knows, maybe someday, we'll need you to return the promise," Jane said.

"I hope so - I think you would make great parents. I'm gonna turn in. Goodnight, sis."

"Goodnight" Daria and Jane replied as Quinn headed for her room.

Around one in the morning, Daria nudged Jane. "Jane, are you awake?"

"Not really, what's wrong Daria?" Jane opened her eyes and turned to face her wife.

"I've been thinking about what Quinn said. Do you think we would make good parents?"

"The best - but I didn't think you wanted to have any."

"Well, I didn't until Cleo moved in. I love watching you with her. Jane, I think it's time we gave it some serious thought."

"You mean it?" Jane asked.

Daria nodded. Jane wrapped her arms around Daria and pulled her into a kiss. Unknown to them, Quinn could hear the conversation going on above her and a small smile came over her face.

**End**


End file.
